TRURO – A downtown landmark that has graced Prince Street for more than 120 years was partially destroyed Thursday by fire.

“I really don’t know where we stand right now,” said Warren Legge, co-owner of the former A.J. Walkers hardware store, as he watched thick, billowing smoke streaming out of the rear of the building.

“Look at the smoke now. Right out through the roof now,” Legge said, as he stood leaning against a chain link fence at the edge of the property on Walker Street.

“It’s pretty disheartening,” he said. “It’s been in my family since 1939.”

The doors to A.J. Walkers were closed in March 2012 after Legge sold the hardware business to Home Hardware. A number of other businesses had set up in the building since then, however, including a custom T-shirt operation, a western wear store and a used goods shop.

While firefighters at the scene said they had not yet determined a cause, Legge said it was his understanding that the blaze was related to a wood fire that had been burning in the section of the store next to the Dairy Queen.

“He’s been there for five or six months and always put a fire on every day,” Legge said of the businessman who had run a used goods shop in that part of the building.

“He put one on today and for some reason something happened. I mean, we used to sell stoves in that section and it was all hooked up legally and stuff,” Legge said. “And he was renting and didn’t have a lot of heat in that section so he lit a fire every day. Today, something happened, I don’t know.”

The property has been on the real estate market for some time, but in a twist of irony, however, a purchase agreement had recently been put place for the property by local real estate developer Jon Keddy.

Posted the same question earlier, so please disregard this second post if the first is made public & answered.
You mentioned the building is being demolished?...is this the complete building or the wooden structure that was added on the East side?
It certainly make a difference in the headlines!

I was teaching a beginner's Taoist Tai Chi class at our club across the street from the tack shop in the former Walkers complex when the fire trucks came by and stopped just past us. Not seeing any flames or smoke initially we continued on but soon the smoke, which was blowing our way, started coming in under the front door . Then water, presumably from a nearby fire hydrant, came gushing down the sidewalk which made onlookers rush away so as not to get wet. Thankfully, it never came inside our premises. Soon a fireman came and asked us all to leave.
This is a sad tragedy for the downtown core and I hope the other businesses in the former Walkers block are spared and that no one was trapped inside.